Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to amend public procurement rules and procedures to allow building contractors to be involved with housing development schemes at an early stage.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The current procurement rules, which came into force on 24 February 2025, encourage contracting authorities to engage with the market before commencing a procurement. 5,000 pre-market engagement notices have now been published. This engagement is of particular importance under the new rules, where contracting authorities have significant flexibility to design and tailor their competitive procurement procedures.

We have consulted on procurement reforms to further boost domestic supply chains and create more opportunities for businesses across the UK, including across the housing sector. We will be publishing the consultation outcome - and legislative proposals - soon.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of social housing tenants in London are not in work.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

My Department collects data on the economic activity of households by tenure in England, through the English Housing Survey, which can be found in Annex table 1.3 (attached) here English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025: headline findings on demographics and household resilience - GOV.UK.

In England, 59% of social rented households had a household reference person (HRP) who was not in work. Of all social rented households 1% of HRPs were in full-time education, 7% were unemployed, 26% were retired and 25% were ‘other inactive’, a group that includes those with a long-term illness or disability and those who were looking after the family or home.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to change the threshold for on-site affordable housing from 10 to 50 units.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government retains a strong preference for, and commitment to, on-site delivery of social and affordable housing, reflecting the benefits this provides in terms of the delivery of mixed communities, controlled land prices, and secure cash flow for developers of all sizes.

At the same time, the government also wishes to provide for a more proportionate and streamlined planning system for SME housebuilders, to help bring competition and diversity to the market, and support faster build out.

As such, the government has decided to explore further the potential benefits and drawbacks of enabling developers to discharge social and affordable housing requirements through cash contributions in lieu of direct delivery in the category of “medium” sites as part of the consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework, published on 16 December 2025.

Further information is set out in the Government’s consultation ‘National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system’ which can be found on gov.uk (attached) here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the relevant councils following the cyber attacks on Westminster Council, Hammersmith and Fulham Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council, including in relation to the people or organisations behind the attacks.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the National Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement have been working closely with the impacted councils, to understand the risk to their services and to wider government, and to support effective remediation and restoration of services for the public. Councils have been working diligently with specialist support to validate the security of their networks and bring essential services back online. We are aware that some council data may have been stolen by criminal actors. The impacted councils, government and law enforcement are thoroughly investigating the accuracy and potential impact of any data loss. There is an ongoing law enforcement investigation which the councils and MHCLG are fully supporting.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure charitable contributions and relief efforts for Jamaica are coordinated effectively.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

I refer the Noble Lord to the written statement I made to the House on the Government's response to Hurricane Melissa on 11 December (HLWS1160).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of post-planning early- and late-stage reviews on development viability in London.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Planning practice guidance on viability states that plans should set out circumstances where review mechanisms may be appropriate and how they will operate. The application of this and wider guidance in London is a matter for local planning authorities and the Greater London Authority.

While viability pressures are impacting residential development in many parts of the country, we know they are particularly acute in London. Those pressures were already resulting in proportions of affordable housing being reduced on schemes following viability assessment. According to Greater London Authority (GLA) monitoring data, the average affordable housing level of referable applications that have been approved through their viability tested route was 20 per cent between 2022-2024.

To address this, the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London announced a new package of support for housebuilding in London that included developers to access a new, time-limited planning route to incentivise build out. This will sit alongside the existing Fast Track and Viability Tested routes and will enable developers to secure planning permission without a viability assessment on private land within certain conditions.

The GLA opened a consultation for this time-limited measure, and the proposal of the targeted withdrawal of guidance that limits density, on Thursday 27 November which can be found at Support for Housebuilding LPG | London City Hall (attached).

My Department also launched a consultation on the temporary relief from the Community Infrastructure Levy and changes to Mayoral planning powers which can be found at Support for housebuilding in London - GOV.UK (attached). These consultations close on 22 January 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that empty properties on high streets and in town centres are brought back into use.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This government is committed to tackling high street vacancy. In December 2024, we introduced High Street Rental Auction powers which enable local authorities to auction the lease of persistently vacant properties so they can be brought back into use. We are working with 12 early adopter councils who are prioritising implementation of the powers, and initial results suggest the powers can be effective at reoccupying vacant units.

Through the Pride in Place strategy, we are equipping councils with a wider range of new tools to support the high street, including streamlined compulsory purchase powers and a new Community Right to Buy.

We are also supporting high street businesses with permanently lower business rates multipliers from 2026/27, and by banning upwards only rent reviews in commercial leases.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer and remarks by Lord Hanson of Flint on 17 November (HL11520) and 10 November (HL Deb col 66), whether for-profit social housing providers will be granted the same powers as not-for-profit housing providers under the Crime and Policing Bill.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are strengthening the powers available to relevant agencies under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

For-profit Social Housing Providers have grown in prominence since the 2014 Act first came into force. While it is important that all agencies have the powers they need to tackle ASB, it is also important that changes to the agencies that can use the powers in the 2014 ASB Crime and Policing Act are considered carefully, on a case-by-case basis. The addition of for-profit social housing providers as applicant agencies for Respect Orders, Housing Injunctions and Youth Injunctions remains under consideration, as mentioned in previous answers.

We are, however, legislating in the Crime and Policing Bill to extend the power to issue Closure Notices to Registered Social Housing Providers, including For Profit Housing Providers. This will make it easier for Housing Providers to take swift action to prevent disruptive ASB.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to give councils powers to seize or impound vehicles linked to unpaid penalty charge notices; and what discussions they have had with governments of foreign countries about sharing vehicle data for the payment of those notices.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Local authorities are required under the Traffic Management Act 2004 to ensure that their parking policies are proportionate, support town centre prosperity, and reconcile competing demands for space whilst ensuring traffic moves freely and quickly on their roads and the roads of nearby authorities.

In line with the need for proportionality, there are no plans to allow councils to seize or impound vehicles for unpaid penalty charges.

However, under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978,local authorities can remove abandoned vehicles on parking sites. Before a local authority can remove an abandoned vehicle, the authority must first give the landowner 15 days’ notice. This is done so the law protects individuals from having their property removed without due process.

Vehicle keeper data cannot be shared internationally for civil debt enforcement, and as such cannot be traced outside the UK. Where fines are due from foreign registered vehicles that have already left the country, parking companies and local authorities can and do use international debt collection agencies to pursue unpaid charges.

Found: Consultant, Morgan Sindall Consultant, HCM Architects Consultant, Northwest Surrey Alliance Lord Bailey of Paddington

Found: December 2025 10.50 am Watch the meeting Members present: Baroness Andrews (The Chair); Lord Bailey of Paddington